Monday, June 14, 2010

The Oil Spill is Here, But the Effect is Worldwide

This picture is an overhead picture of the Gulf of Mexico, taken by a satellite camera.

Tsk, Tsk, what a shame people say, as they read about the continuing story of the oil spill here in the states. How sad. It is a good thing it is not happening over here.

Oh really? This is just the latest chapter in the gutting and destruction of our oceans. Drilling in the ocean is a world wide issue. There are literally thousands and thousand of rigs around the world being used to supply the crude to satisfy the thirst for oil which is insatiable and never ending.

Ocean currents move around the world in an endless cycle. The Gulf stream currents wrap all away around the state of Florida, up the coast of the USA, bringing its warm waters across to England keeping the brutal winters at bay. It is not in your back yard yet , world, but it will be over time.

Over here, we have a hurricane season. It started on June 1st, and though so far things have been quiet, it has been predicted to be a very busy season. A storm will pick up the oil floating on the top of the water and deposit hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Fresh water everywhere, farmland, crops, animals and people will be effected. Businesses that have been around for generations in the area have closed up for good. Tourism has slowed already, some areas have shut down, people have lost jobs, This is turning into an economic disaster and is only beginning.

The oceans are being destroyed. There are dead zones in the water, caused by pollution that robs all the oxygen, destroying the eco system, the chain of life needed to sustain life on the planet. Huge floating piles of plastic garbage, floating unseen from land, dumping of waste into our drinking water, destroying ground water, aquifers that millions of years to develop, being sucked dry. This is man's legacy, the destruction of our planet.

I read a report once upon a time that stated that 80% of our world's population would have to go away because there is way too many people on the planet of ours with our finite resources to have any sustainability for continued life on this planet. It appears we are well on our way.